Republic Day was on a Saturday this year and what better way to celebrate it than exploring the rich cultural heritage of your country. So, seven cultural and heritage enthusiasts decided to explore the area around Raj-Ranpur in Nayagarh district. The town is also known as Ranapurgarh or simply Ranapur, just 70 km from the capital city of Bhubaneswar.
The place also got its tag as the second Srikhetra after Puri temple due to the presence of the 15th century Jagannath Temple built in the Puri temple style. The one day tour of 12 hours by the start-up touring agency, Aitiha, covered sites like Maninaga Hills, Jagannath Temple, Olasingh weavers village and the dargah of Bukhari Baba at Kaipadar.
Maninaga Hills is quite picturesque and the ghat drive is just breathtaking with a chance to have a bird’s eye view of Ranapur town from the hilltop. The participants were pleased to reach the top and received blessings from the Baba. The town is famous for the magnificent Jagannath Temple. The three deities, Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Debi Subhadra are worshipped as per the Puri temple’s rituals. There are several other shrines inside the temple complex. The most outstanding is the Snana Mandap with beautiful motifs of lions and elephants adoring the base wall.
The rustic village of Olasingh is lesser known to the outside world, yet it has good heritage temples and zamindari houses. Above all, it is famous for the weavers. “It is a village where you find very friendly people who are keen to invite you to see their works and we were really blessed to have such a nice welcome,” said Sonal Bhat, a participant.
Baba Bukhari’s Dargah at Kaipadar is one of the most famous Pir shrines in Odisha, frequented by both Hindu and Muslim pilgrims. “It is a lovely place and we really liked the serene atmosphere and received blessings from Baba,” said Arun Patre from Bengaluru, who, along with his wife, was on his maiden visit to Odisha and was fascinated by the diversity of the state and its tourism potential.
Ashish Sarangi, one of the co-founders said of Aitiha said, “It’s very important to highlight these small and lesser known places beyond the Puri-Konark-Bhubaneswar triangle and we are dedicatedly trying to showcase such places through our curated tours.”
Aitiha is an initiative to promote heritage and culture through guided tours and trails. Founded by a dedicated team from the twin cities of Cuttack & Bhubaneswar, Aitiha’s sole motto is to make more people aware of the lesser known sites along with the popular ones, be it heritage, culture or nature. More details can be found on its website www.aitiha.com, through the social media handles on Facebook (aitiha1), Twitter (https://twitter.com/aitiha1) and Instagram (aitiha_) or via email at info@aitiha.com.
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